In a continuing effort to improve the quality of shipping fruits, I, the inventor, typically hybridize a large number of peach, nectarine, plum, apricot, and cherry seedlings each year. I also grow a lesser number of open pollinated seeds of each of these fruits, usually to capture recessive traits. The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of peach tree, which has been denominated varietally as ‘Glacier Princess’.
The present variety was hybridized by me in 2004 as a first generation cross using an unnamed yellow flesh clingstone nectarine designated by code number ‘52P566’ as the selected seed parent and ‘Snow Duchess’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 17,281) peach as the selected pollen parent. The fruit of this cross was gathered that summer, and the seeds were removed, cracked, stratified, germinated, and grown as seedlings on their own root in my greenhouse. Upon reaching dormancy the seedlings were transplanted as a group to a cultivated area of my experimental orchard located near Le Grand, Calif., in Merced County (San Joaquin Valley). During the fruit evaluation season of 2007 I selected the present variety as a single tree from the group of seedlings described above. Subsequent to origination of the present variety of peach tree, I asexually reproduced it by budding and grafting in the experimental orchard described above, and such reproduction of plant and fruit characteristics were true to the original plant in all respects. The reproduction of the variety included the use of ‘Nemaguard’ (unpatented) rootstock upon which the present variety was compatible and true to type.
The present variety is similar to its seed parent, ‘52P566’ (unpatented) nectarine, by producing fruit that is firm, nearly full red in skin color, and that matures in mid September, but is quite distinguished therefrom by producing fruit that is white instead of yellow in flesh color, that is freestone instead of clingstone in type, and that is a peach instead of nectarine.
The present variety is most similar to its pollen parent ‘Snow Duchess’ peach (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 17,281) by producing peaches that are white in flesh color, mostly red to pink in skin color, globose in shape, and freestone in type, but is distinguished therefrom by producing fruit that is larger in size and that matures about thirty days later.
The present variety is similar to ‘Pearl Princess V’ peach (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 19,919) by having reniform leaf glands, by requiring close to 500 chilling hours, and by producing fruit that is yellowish white in flesh color, mostly red to pink in skin color, freestone in type, firm in texture, globose in shape, and has a bitter tasting kernel. However, the present variety differs from the ‘Pearl Princess V’ by producing fruit that is somewhat larger in size, not quite as sweet, and by maturing about 75 days later.
The present variety is similar to ‘Snow Princess’ peach (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 12,570) by having reniform leaf glands and by producing fruit that is nearly white in flesh color, mostly red to pink in skin color, freestone in type, firm in texture, globose in shape, and has a bitter tasting kernel. However, the present variety differs from ‘Snow Princess’ by producing fruit that matures about forty days later.